BLACKPINK’s Rosé, Netflix’s animated feature “K-Pop Demon Hunters”, and HYBE’s global girl group KATSEYE have all been nominated in major categories at the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards, raising anticipation for the first-ever K-pop win while sparking deeper reflection on the industry’s artistic growth.
At 1 a.m. KST on November 8, the Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 68th GRAMMY Awards via its official YouTube livestream. Among globally renowned artists, several K-pop–related figures and works appeared across multiple main categories, marking a historic moment for the genre.
Rosé received three major nominations — Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — for her hit collaboration with Bruno Mars, “APT.” This makes her the first K-pop solo artist ever to earn multiple nominations in GRAMMY’s main categories.
The Netflix animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters” also made history. Its fictional group HUNT/X’s track “Golden” earned nods for Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media, and Best Remixed Recording, while the entire soundtrack was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
Meanwhile, KATSEYE, the HYBE and Geffen Records joint project group, was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with its songs “Gabriela” and “Gnarly.” Adding to the milestone, the Korean original musical “Maybe Happy Ending” was recognized in the Best Musical Theater Album category, underscoring the global expansion of Korean creative works.
These nominations highlight how K-pop and broader K-culture have evolved beyond trends to become part of the global mainstream. From Rosé and K-Pop Demon Hunters — both nominated in multiple major categories — to KATSEYE and Maybe Happy Ending, this year’s GRAMMY lineup underscores how Korean creativity is increasingly recognized as a major cultural force.
However, major groups like SEVENTEEN, TXT, aespa, and LE SSERAFIM failed to make the final list, revealing the GRAMMYs’ enduring conservatism and signaling that global audiences still expect more distinctive artistic evolution from K-pop acts.
While all seven BTS members — RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — along with HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk, producers Pdogg and Woozi, TXT’s Yeonjun, ENHYPEN’s Jungwon, LE SSERAFIM’s Huh Yunjin, ZICO, and all members of KATSEYE are currently active Recording Academy members, their collective influence also emphasizes that true recognition must continue to come through artistic growth.
Ultimately, K-pop’s entry into GRAMMY’s main categories marks not only a milestone toward its first potential win but also an acknowledgment of its undeniable global presence — first proven by BTS — and a reminder of the work still needed to strengthen its creative identity on the world stage.
The 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on February 1, 2026 (U.S. time) at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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